PMI Members Learn Being Green Isn't Always Easy

Members of the Plumbing Manufacturers
Institute discovered at their spring meeting that this whole green building
thing might be more complicated than advertised.

Members of the www.pmihome.orgPlumbing Manufacturers
Institute discovered at their spring meeting that this whole green building
thing might be more complicated than advertised.

First,
manufacturers have to deal with the multitude of green building standards
issued by different groups. Then they have to figure out which products are
genuinely green, and which ones are “greenwash.” Finally are the technology
issues that have to be resolved in systems that contribute to sustainable
buildings such as graywater and rainwater harvesting.

“There
are 60 green rating systems in the United States,” environmental consultant Paul
Shahriari told PMI members April 1 during the meeting in Newport
Beach, Calif. “In the last 10 years, going green hasn’t gotten easier.”

Earlier
in the meeting, PMI Technical Director Shawn Martin noted:
“It’s the Wild West out there. We as an industry should encourage harmonization
and consolidation of water-efficiency standards. Everyone seems to be out for
themselves.”

To
address this situation, PMI approved two action items:

1. PMI will
monitor the water-efficiency efforts by all the groups that have issued
standards or guidelines.

2. PMI will organize an industry forum to get
all the groups on the same page.

Making the green marketplace more
difficult to navigate are the products advertised as environmentally friendly
that really aren’t. Rather than being truly green, these products are
greenwash.

“There’s
a huge amount of greenwash,” Shahriari said. “Some greenwash is more based in
Madison Avenue than in reality.”

Perhaps
most troubling, however, are the technology questions that must be answered in
systems that contribute to sustainable construction. Graywater and rainwater
harvesting systems can benefit the environment only if they are designed,
installed and maintained properly.

Graywater
is household wastewater that does not come from toilets, kitchen sinks or
dishwashers but rather from showers, bathtubs, bathroom and laundry sinks and
washing machines. A person can produce 40 gallons of graywater per day, said Eddie
Wilcut, conservation department manager for the San Antonio (TX)
Water System.

Using
graywater has both benefits and risks, he told PMI members. Benefits include:
reduced potable water use; lower water and sewer bills; reduced impact on
septic systems and wastewater treatment plants; and reclamation of nutrients
that can help the soil and plants. Among potential risks are: health risks;
reduced water quality; backflow contamination; and sodium buildup in water.

Overall,
the benefits of a properly designed, installed and maintained graywater system
outweigh the risks, he said. Cost can be another issue, though.

“In
San Antonio, if you build a new home equipped for graywater, it will cost about
$200 or $300,” Wilcut said. “After the house is built, it will cost thousands.
The industry should promote plumbing of new homes for graywater.”

Rainwater
harvesting and reuse can be as expensive too. Such a system can be more costly
than desalinating ocean water due to the storage that’s required, he said.

“Rainwater
needs disinfectant as does graywater because of biogrowth in storage tanks,”
Wilcut said. “Rainwater falling from the sky may be pure, but there are
contaminants on the roof, and maybe asbestos. A roof-washing system may be
needed.”

Another
consideration is whether a system can capture all the rain if it comes all at
once, he said. Conveying the rainwater requires gutters, downspouts and piping,
in which mold, squirrel feces and leaves may accumulate.

Aesthetics
may figure into selecting the system’s storage tank, which can be installed
below or aboveground. Some neighborhood covenants won’t allow homeowners to
install aboveground cisterns.

Owners
also have to decide whether the tank is made from fiberglass, plastic, wood,
steel drums or polyethylene. Galvanized steel tanks must be lined if they’re to
be used for drinking water, Wilcut said.

A
number of these complications can be resolved if people involved in different
aspects of sustainable construction do a better job of talking with one
another, he said. In concluding his presentation, Shahriari noted the winners
of the next phase of the green revolution would be the companies that make
being green easier for people.

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Bob has covered the plumbing, piping and HVAC industry for more than 25 years as an editor and publisher of business-to-business construction magazines. He previously worked in the newspaper business as a reporter and editor. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University, where he graduated summa cum laude, and a master’s degree from the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, where he also has worked as a part-time instructor.